The invention relates to a means for securing a fabric material such as a towel or a blanket. In particular, the present invention is particularly directed to a means for securing fabric material such as a towel or blanket on beaches, lawns or at the pool or other similar settings from windblown or other inadvertent movement.
Towels, blankets and other coverings frequently used on beaches or lawns are often moved and disturbed by wind or movement of people over the blanket or towel. To avoid this problem, it is common to place stones or other weights on the corners of towels or blankets. In some instances, pegs have been used to secure the blankets in place. These and other means and methods of securing beach blankets and the like have not been altogether satisfactory. Frequently stones are not available or are not secure enough and fall off the edges of the blankets. Frequently spikes are made of plastic, easily break or cannot penetrate the ground without unreasonable amounts of pressure and frequently require complicated structures to engage the fabric. Additionally, securing the edges or corners of a blanket or towel presents additional problems which often involve clamps or moving parts to secure the blanket.
The present invention is designed to overcome the foregoing problems and provides a simple inexpensive mechanism for securing beach blankets and the like on a beach, lawn or similar setting. The present invention provides a securing means suitable for use on lawns, hard surfaces, sand, and the like. It provides a simple means for securing the edge or corner of a towel or blanket and further is shaped and sized to provide a sufficiently weighted component to firmly secure the corner or edge of the towel or blanket position.
The present invention is further designed to have multiple functions since it may be designed for advertising purposes. Thus, for example, the unit may be designed in a wide range of shapes for advertising purposes such as a shape of a beer, soda can, bottle, tennis ball, football, golf ball, soccer ball, basketball, or the like. It may also have unusual shapes such as the shape of a hamburger or a hotdog. Such variety of shapes particularly lend themselves for advertising purposes with an advertisers mark or logo suitably printed, screen or formed on the items.
The present invention may be formed of injected molded material with little or substantially no assembly requirements. It, thus, provides a relatively inexpensive but sturdy means for securing the edge or the corner of a blanket.